Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the etiologic agent of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). (Barre-Sinoussi F, Chermann J C, Rey F, et al. Isolation of a T-lymphotropic retrovirus from a patient at risk for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Science 1983, 220:868-71; Popovic M, Sarngadharan M G, Read E, et al. Detection, isolation and continuous production of cytopathic retroviruses (HTLV-I) from patients with AIDS and pre-AIDS. Science 1984, 224:497-500; Gallo R C, Salahuddin S Z, Popovic M, et al. Frequent detection and isolation of cytopathic retroviruses (HTLV-I) from patients with AIDS and at risk for AIDS. Science 1984, 224:500-3). It can be transmitted through sexual contact, exposure to infected blood or blood products, or from an infected mother to the fetus. (Curran J W, Jaffe H W, Hardy A M, et al. Epidemiology of HIV infection and AIDS in the United States. Science 1988, 239:610-16). Acute HIV syndrome, characterized by flu-like symptoms, develops 3 to 5 weeks after initial infection and is associated with high levels of viremia. (Daar E S, Moudgil T, Meyer R D, Ho D D. Transient high levels of viremia in patients with primary human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection. New Engl J Med 1991, 324:961-4; Clark S J, Saag M S, Decker W D. High titers of cytopathic virus in plasma of patients with symptomatic primary HIV-1 infection. New Engl J Med 1991, 324:954-60). Within 4 to 6 weeks of the onset of symptoms, HIV specific immune response is detectable. (Albert J, Abrahamsson B, Nagy K, et al. Rapid development of isolate-specific neutralizing antibodies after primary HIV-1 infection and consequent emergence of virus variants which resist neutralization by autologous sera. AIDS 1990, 4:107-12; Horsburgh C R Jr, Ou C Y, Jason J, et al. Duration of human immunodeficiency virus infection before detection of antibody. Lancet 1989, 334:637-40). After seroconversion, viral load in peripheral blood declines and most patients enter an asymptomatic phase that can last for years. (Pantaleo G, Graziosi C, Fauci A S. New concepts in the immunopathogenesis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. New Engl J Med 1993, 328:327-35). Quantitative measurement of HIV levels in peripheral blood has greatly contributed to the understanding of the pathogenesis of HIV infection (Ho D D, Neumann A U, Perelson A S, et al. Rapid turnover of plasma virions and CD4 lymphocytes in HIV-1 infection. Nature 1995, 373:123-6; Wei X, Ghosh S K, Taylor M E, et al. Viral dynamics in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection. Nature 1995, 373:117-22) and has been shown to be an essential parameter in prognosis and management of HIV infected individuals. (Mellors J W, Rinaldo C R J R, Gupta P, et al. Prognosis in HIV-1 infection predicted by the quantity of virus in plasma. Science 1996, 272:1167-70; Mellors J W, Munoz A, Giorgi J V, et al. Plasma viral load and CD4+ lymphocytes as prognostic markers of HIV-1 infection. Ann Intern Med 1997, 126(12):946-54; Chene G, Sterne J A, May M, et al. Prognostic importance of initial response in HIV-1 infected patients starting potent antiretroviral therapy: analysis of prospective studies. Lancet 2003, 362:679-86; Egger M, May M, Chene G, et al. Prognosis of HIV-1 infected drug patients starting highly active antiretroviral therapy: a collaborative analysis of prospective studies. Lancet 2002, 360:119-29; Wood E, Hogg R S, Yip B, et al. Higher baseline levels of plasma human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RNA are associated with increased mortality after initiation of triple-drug antiretroviral therapy. J Infect Dis 2003, 188:1421-5; US Department of Health and Human Services. 2004 guidelines for the use of antiretroviral agents in HIV-1 infected adults and adolescents. Available online at: AIDSinfo.nih.gov/guidelines). Decisions regarding initiation or changes in antiretroviral therapy are guided by monitoring plasma HIV RNA levels (viral load), CD4+ T cell count, and the patient's clinical condition. (US Department of Health and Human Services. 2004 guidelines for the use of antiretroviral agents in HIV-1 infected adults and adolescents. Available online at: AIDSinfo.nih.gov/guidelines; Yeni P G, Hammer S M, Hirsch M S, et al. Treatment for Adult HIV Infection. 2004 Recommendations of the International AIDS Society-USA Panel. JAMA 2004, 292:251-65). The goal of antiretroviral therapy is to reduce the HIV virus in plasma to below detectable levels of available viral load tests. (US Department of Health and Human Services. 2004 guidelines for the use of antiretroviral agents in HIV-1 infected adults and adolescents. Available online at: AIDSinfo.nih.gov/guidelines; A S, Essunger P, Cao Y, et al. Decay characteristics of HIV-1 infected compartments during combination therapy. Nature 1997, 387(6629):188-91). HIV RNA levels in plasma can be quantitated by prior art procedures by nucleic acid amplification or signal amplification technologies. (Mulder J, McKinney N, Christopher C, et al. Rapid and simple PCR assay for quantitation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RNA in plasma: application to acute retroviral infection. J Clin Microbiol 1994, 32:292-300; Dewar R L, Highbarger H C, Sarmiento M D, et al. Application of branched DNA signal amplification to monitor human immunodeficiency virus type 1 burden in human plasma. J Inf Diseases 1994, 170:1172-9; Van Gemen B, Kievits T, Schukkink R, et al. Quantification of HIV-1 RNA in plasma using NASBA™ during HIV-1 primary infection. J Virol Methods 1993, 43:177-87).